A Tender Hearted Woman
by EmberlyFae
Summary: How can one Woman change the way a Man see's the world? How can it be so easy for her to just accept everything he's ever done? Who is she? How can this tender woman be so easily making him a better man? **Rated M for mature content and Lemons**
1. Chapter 1 - The Mysterious Woman

Chapter One – The Mysterious Woman

A soft cool breeze rustled the leaves of the trees surrounding the pair. Aside from the distant bird song all that was to be heard was the crunch of leaves and twigs beneath their feet.

"Rika… Where are we going?" She yawned stretching her arms above her head. Smoothing the mass of her lower back length platinum silver hair behind her ears as she brought her arms back down. She caught herself glaring down at the orange striped cat pulling her along, easily keeping pace with the cat as she pulled her through the many trees and bushes.

"Mizuki I found something over here you are going to want to see." The cat mumbled as she continued to pull Mizuki at a quickened pace through the trees. Rika's paw trembling as she clutched the woman's pant leg.

Soon the faint whispers of a flowing stream filled their ears. Following the cat deeper into the forest they finally came up to a stream. The stream was nothing extraordinary but what was peculiar was the man laid up against the base of a large tree on the opposite side of the stream. He was an obviously tall, muscular man. His wind swept hair was an amazingly brilliant blonde, almost comparable to the to the bright color of the sun. The features of his face were very sharp and defined, graced by the appearance of the lightning bolt shaped scar donning his right eye.

"I wonder who he is…" Mizuki muttered glancing over the man cautiously from across the stream. Quietly deciding to get a closer look she hopped over the stream. Landing in a crouched position she slowly approached the man.

The distant sound of a twig snapping nearby had Mizuki looking up from the man, studying their surroundings quickly. In this moment she seemed like more of a wild animal than her petite figure would suggest.

"Be careful." Rika whispered to her as Mizuki crouched near the man, brushing away the hair from in front of his eyes. She heard a soft groan escape his lips. Feeling an intense heat radiating from his skin, she moved her hand away from his face, a troubling look upon her own.

"Rika… Go get our stuff." She sighed, knowing she couldn't leave him there like this. She pulled his body down gently, with some ease, until his body laid fully on the ground near the tree.

As Rika returned with a large canvas bag, Mizuki had finally gotten the man settled on the ground. Kneeling between him and the stream she began to look over the man's condition. She couldn't help but think about how handsome the man was, but at the same time she wondered why he was out here. Rifling through the bag Rika returned with she removed a small cloth and jar from within. Quickly she soaked the cloth in the cool water of the stream and gently placed the folded cloth on the man's forehead. Moving slowly she started to remove the bandages from the man's body. She accessed the majority of the man's wounds, taking the jar she pulled from the bag and applying the paste within to the worst of the man's wounds. After having applied the medicinal paste she carefully replaced clean bandages over the wounds and moved to lay his head in her lap. Deciding she would wait with him until he woke.

"Rika…" She spoke finally in a soft quiet tone. "It will be dark soon. Could you start us a fire?"

* * *

Hours later and the sun was almost fully down, Mizuki was shaken from her dazed stare as the man began to stir. Opening his eyes slowly, they immediately met hers.

"So you're finally awake huh?" She smirked down at the man who had yet to move from her lap. "How are you feeling?" Instead of answering her he scoffed at the woman and sat up to move away from her. Her venom green eyes grew soft and never left him, his action enticing a small giggle from her.

The sound of amusement coming from the woman caused him some confusion. He could not help but wonder who she was, he was being rude to her and yet she returned his rudeness with a smile and a laugh. The cloth that was on his head fell into his lap, the bandages she'd replaced still laid on the ground behind her, making it obvious that she was tending to him in his sleep. Yet he was rude to her, this made him wonder what type of person he had become all the more.

Lost in his thoughts of confusion, he almost didn't realize that she had started to dab the cloth across his forehead. She gave him a soft reassuring smile when she turned to the stream, soaking the cloth again in the cool waters.

"Why are you helping me?" He questioned her softly; however soft, his voice was still coarse and deep.

"We found you passed out, with a fever, injured and alone." She looked back at him, her expression was now somehow sad. "What kind of a person would I be if I just left you here?"

"What if I had hurt you?" He questioned again, this time his voice took on a ping of guilt and sorrow.

She didn't answer at first, instead she took a small cup from her bag and dipped it into the stream. Turning back to him, she offered him the small cup of water. Once he'd taken the cup from her she resumed dabbing the cloth across his forehead and down his large neck.

She gave him a soft smile, "I have been around enough bad people in my life to know who is and is not." The tone of her voice now reflected his, only heavily filled, casting more mystery onto who she was and where she had come from.

Her eyes reflected the pain she felt inside her heart for her past. You would have thought her to be a saint the way she cared but, the pain in her eyes would tell you otherwise. It was plain as day that this woman had to have been through some sort of hell before and this had made her a much more kind and caring woman. He figured he might as well return a little of her kindness.

"Laxus…" The sudden sound of his voice surprised her, causing her to give him a sort of confused look. "My name is Laxus." He rolled his eyes at the dumbfounded woman.

"Well Laxus, it's nice to meet you." The little orange cat, Rika, stepped into the conversation. She had moved from her spot next to the fire to sit beside Mizuki; but neither Mizuki nor Laxus had noticed until she spoke.

"This is Rika," Mizuki smiled looking to the cat and back to him. "Where'd you come from?"

"Do I really have to tell you my life story?" He grumbled; sort of glared at the woman now, almost annoyed with her question.

"Well seeing as I might have just saved your life, and am curious… yes." She smiled victoriously, causing him to left out a defeated sigh.

"Magnolia…" He sighed again. Looking up through the trees he stared at the night sky as he continued. "I was part of the Fairy Tail guild, but my own stupid Grandfather kicked me out. My grandfather was the Guild Master, and he kicked me out." His voice was becoming angry now, without any thought at all she reached her hand out and placed it on his arm, immediately calming the storm raging within his own mind. His face was twisted with mixed emotions of anger and surprise. Unsure how to feel he looked away from her.

"Laxus, listen we all have pasts we're not proud of. Perhaps he was trying to get you to understand something, but you wouldn't and this is the only way to force it? Even if that's not the case the only thing you can do is strive to be a better person today than you were yesterday." She looked at him sadly, she hadn't moved her hand from his arm, but she was surprised when his hand then covered her own.

"Who are you?" Laxus questioned her, what was it about this woman that made it so easy for her to understand where he was coming from? He wanted to know everything about her, but why? He had never been this interested in another person before, the only thing he had ever cared about was getting out of his grandfather's shadow all these years.

"Mizuki… I'm just Mizuki. I'm really nothing special. I've done some things in my life to make the world a darker place, not I'm simply trying to make it a better place, before I am no longer able to."She sighed. "I was a broken person, driven by nothing but hate. I've been running away from that life, but it has continued to haunt me since I left."

Her sudden explanation of who she was and where she was coming from caught Laxus off couldn't understand how it was so easy for her to tell him this, or how she knew exactly which questions he wanted to ask and how to answer them in such a roundabout way.

"Thank you." He spoke quietly, the anger in his expression faded and he showed her a small half smile, letting his hand squeeze hers gently.

A faint blush crossed her cheeks, but she returned the smile. "Laxus, I don't know what you did to get yourself kicked out of Fairy Tail but I think you're a good person." She smirked; pulling her hand out from under his she turned to tend the fire before laying her head down. By now the stars were out in full and it was becoming late in the night.

The comment left Laxus with a surprised look on his face, as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard her say. She, who had no idea who he was or what he had done, yet she still thought him to be a good person. Who was this woman? That question would bring an end to their night, all three falling fast asleep near the fire and close to each other.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Journey Begins

Chapter Two – The Journey Begins

It seemed like they slept for an eternity when the sun finally peaked through the leaves of the trees above to illuminate the forest around them. As Laxus woke to the sun in his eyes he noticed quickly the woman curled up to his side. She seemed to have such a tranquil look on her face, almost like she was completely at peace. He wondered how he could move without waking her. He didn't want to disturb her peaceful slumber, but he also didn't want to burden her further. Slowly he tried to quietly move away from the sleeping woman. Stumbling to his feet he tried to move quickly out of the camp.

"Where do you think you're going?" A voice sounded from behind him, but it wasn't the voice he had expected to hear. He growled softly to himself, how could he have forgotten about the cat that lay only a few feet away.

"You don't need to be running off alone in your condition," Mizuki sounded, her eyes were still closed and she hadn't moved from her position on the forest floor, but she was fully aware of every detail of their surroundings. Slowly she turned over in the grass, her venom eyes met his with such energy to them. The way the sunlight shined down on her eyes it made them appear to be glowing, it was truly beautiful.

"What reason would there be for me to continue hanging around?" Laxus simply huffed in his usual crude tone. He didn't believe he needed to continue to burden them any further.

"If you're worried you're being a burden, don't." Mizuki sighed; as she sat up she stretched her arms out above her head before pulling her tangled mass of hair behind her head and tied it into a low ponytail. "I wouldn't have bothered helping you if I saw it as a burden."

Mizuki's voice had taken on a hint of callousness; suddenly she was returning his rude behavior with a boorish attitude. She seemed like a completely different person than she had the night before. Laxus suddenly felt sorry for being so rude to her; after all, she was only trying to help him, but why did he feel sorry? He had been so coarse to everyone he'd ever known and never thought twice about it, with her, however, he felt like apologizing.

"I'm sorry," He spoke quietly; the words were like vinegar on his tongue they were so foreign to him.

"Not to worry," Rika chimed in. The sour look on Laxus' face made it apparent that he did not apologize very often. "Mizuki can be a bit gruff in the morning. You'll get used to it though."

With a roll of her eyes, Mizuki waved Laxus over to her and patted the ground next to her. "Come, sit down, we need to change your bandages." Mizuki's voice became calmer suddenly, almost nurturing. Had she really been so upset that he was trying to leave? Why would she care so much for his well-being? She owed him absolutely nothing if anything it was he who owed her and yet she was looking out for him and his health.

I'll get used to it? He wondered to himself, just how long did they intend on him being with them? He wasn't really accustomed to being around people for very long. He didn't even really spend much time with his team or guildmates at Fairy Tail and he'd known them for years. He grew up among most of them, which shouldn't have been a surprise seeing as his grandfather was the guild master.

Mizuki didn't say another word to him instead she simply got to work removing his bandages. Even sitting he was considerably taller than her, causing her to have to sit up on her knees to unwrap the bandage around his head.

"Mizuki," Laxus spoke patiently waiting for her to finish pulling the dirtied bandages from his wounds. "Why do you care what happens to me? I'm nothing but a stranger to you. You could have left me alone when you found me, what made you want to help me?" He questioned her, giving her a confused and curious look. When their eyes met he could see the pain that reflected back in hers.

"Penance," She spoke softly, her voice reflected the pain that showed in her eyes. "Like I told you last night, I've done a lot of bad things in my life, helping who I can now is all I can do to try to make things right. I added a lot of darkness to this world, now I want to add some light."

After she spoke she had bent over towards the river rinsing a small cloth in the cool water before dabbing it against his open cuts and scrapes cleaning them out. When she knelt in front of him to tend to his head he couldn't help but notice the scar on her breast just above her heart. It wasn't a large scar, but it was jagged and resembled more of a stab wound. He wondered who could have done this to her, she was much too kind and gentle for him to see anyone wishing her harm.

As Mizuki had finished cleaning him up, she noticed the bizarre rate at which his wounds had healed. Laxus was lost in his thoughts when she had stood from her kneeling position. Placing a hand gently on his shoulder she snapped him back to reality.

"If you really want to go off on your own, I will not stop you, but I wish you'd travel with us a bit longer, at least until we've reached the next town and you can find a proper doctor." Mizuki smiled half-heartedly down at him, she knew she couldn't stop him from going off on his own but she worried if he did he would end up back in the same state she found him in.

Laxus said nothing to her as she moved around their little campsite, placing the bandages and other supplies used that night back into her bag. Everyone was silent, the tension in the air seemed to thicken as no one spoken a word.

. . .

Not too far from the group but far enough away not to be seen, hidden in the shadows of the trees sat two others who watched this strange exchange. Not wishing their presence to be known, one's glasses shaded eyes took in every detail. His attention focused mainly on the young woman with silver hair. They had been following her for a few days now without her notice and had hoped this new addition to her group would serve as the distraction they would need. It wouldn't be long before they would confront the girl, but would rather do it while she was alone, if only they could find a way to separate her from the other two. If they continued to drag this out much longer they knew the others in the guild would be rather frenzied. For now, however, all they could do was continued to follow and watch from the shadows, hoping they would get their chance to get the girl alone.

"This could prove to rather interesting." One of them spoke quietly in a calm voice. He was a tall man; however was not really a man. His body may have appeared human but his head and face was that of a goat. He kept his eyes shaded by a pair of sunglasses and wore a long-tailed topcoat over a nice suit.

"Damn it Capricorn why can't we just take her now! I highly doubt those other two are going to put up much of a fight!" The other argued, his voice was higher in pitch and a bit chaotic. This man was shorter than the other; his long blonde spiked hair was wild and unkempt.

"Zancrow, keep your voice down," Capricorn spoke again with an unnaturally calm voice. If Zancrow continued to make a fuss they would be found out for sure but he was confident they were already. Mizuki had never been one to let much get past her, perhaps she would simply leave the group and confront them, or maybe she would continue to run hoping she would lose them eventually. Only time would tell.

. . .

Mizuki finished packing up what was left of the stuff around the campsite slinging the large bag over her shoulder she finally spoke breaking the awkward silence that had befallen the campsite. "Rika, we need to be heading out." There was a sense of urgency in her voice followed but the slight twinge of fear. Laxus wondered what she could be so worried about that warranted packing and leaving so quickly.

"If you don't mind I'd like to join you." Laxus stood and walked over to her. She simply gave him a sweet smile and nodded her head gently. He could tell something was bothering her, something had her scared enough to run away. Though incredibly uncharacteristic of him he wanted to help her if only to return the favor for helping him.

The three of them headed out, following the stream through the forest until they reached a narrow road. Following the road for a short distance, it lead them out of the forest and continued straight into the Town of Oshibana. By the time they had reached the town it was already getting dark, neither of them had spoken much the entire time they walked until they reached the hotel they decided to stay at for the night.

"I'll go get us a room." Mizuki yawned she was very tired after their long day of walking, but she knew they had to move fast. It was starting to get late and all of the shops would be closing soon.

"Alright," Laxus replied as his stomach growled. "I'll go find us some dinner." Mizuki smiled at him, it seemed he was starting to warm up to her. He certainly wasn't as rude to her as he was when they first met.

After Laxus had disappeared within the crowded town Mizuki turned and looked down at Rika who stood next to her. "They're getting close…" Mizuki's pain-ridden voice filled Rika's sensitive ears as the folded to lay flat against her head. "What if they catch us while he's with us? I don't want him to get hurt because of us." Mizuki's eyes reflect a sense of worry and guilt.

Rika let out a soft sigh, "We'll have to be honest with him then. I don't think he would just accept us running off without him since you made such a fuss over him trying to leave on his own this morning." The orange cat was right, Mizuki could have simply let the problem fix itself this morning but she was so adamant that he stayed with them.

"Alright, then we'll tell him the whole story tonight after dinner," Mizuki looked down at Rika if only for a little reassurance. Rika simply gave her an encouraging nod. That settled it, tonight they would explain everything to Laxus and hope he would choose to stay away from them and their problems.

The sun had set now as the three settled down in their hotel room for the night. Mizuki was washing the dishes after dinner with Rika lingering close by. The hotel only had the single queen room available, leaving them to either share the bed or one of them to sleep on the couch. Laxus it seemed had chosen the couch despite the fact he was a great deal larger than the small couch. Mizuki let out a reluctant sigh before turning away from the sink to look over in his direction.

"L-Laxus..." She spoke hesitantly. "Can I talk to you about something?"

He looked over at her curiously, diverting his gaze from the window he was staring out of. "What's up?" He asked her as she made her way into the main room, sitting across from him on the foot of the bed.

"Do you remember what I told you yesterday?" She looked down at her hands folded in her lap.

"Yeah, I think so, why?" He returned her question with one of his own.

"Remember how I told you about my past?" She let out a solemn sigh before continuing. "I may not have told you all of it..." She paused for a moment, twiddling her thumbs together as she stared down at her hands.

"Tell me..," Laxus spoke quietly. He had turned now to sit upright on the couch facing her. Hunched over he sat resting his elbows on his knees with one hand in the other.

"Well… I'm being hunted by my past, I guess would be the best way to say it." She reluctantly looked up at Laxus. The expression on his face was stone cold, emotionless. "The people I have been running away from they're still hunting me." She averted her gaze back to her hands.

"I was part of a really bad group," She continued, head hanging in shame as she spoke refusing to meet his gaze. "To be specific I was part of a Dark Guild. Two of their members have been tracking me since I left. Just this morning they were no more than 50 yards from us... I think we should part ways, there's a good doctor here that will take care of you…" Mizuki was cut off from her rambling when Laxus stood from the couch and walked over to the window. He stood there stoic, staring out into the dark town before him, everything taking on some sense of calm as the shops closed and everyone turned in for the night.

"After that big fuss this morning, now you want to part ways?" Laxus chuckled at her, the strange sound emanating from his throat caused her to look up in confusion.

"Is he laughing at me?" Mizuki wondered as she stared in bewilderment at the large muscular man by the window, his large shoulders shaking gently as he laughed.

Mustering all the courage she could find to face him, she stood and awkwardly made her way towards him, clumsily tripping over her bag she had left in the middle of the floor. Mizuki fell forwards towards Laxus who turned just in time to catch her slender frame with his strong arms, pulling her tightly into him. He held her close, her sizable chest pressed against his, her feet dangling a few inches from the floor due to their height difference. They stood there like this for a few moments, their faces a few inches apart, the feel of his warm breath so close sent shivers down her spine. They had no idea how long they had stood there staring into each other's eyes, her bright venom pools reflecting back to her through the grey storm clouds that were his eyes. His eyes seemed cold but there was a hint of something else. Something rather strange to her, this hint of something, was something she had never seen before in the eyes of a man when they looked at her.

"Um…" Mizuki struggled to find the words, blushing a bright rosy red she turned her face away from his. "Th-thank you for catching me." She stuttered, her tongue tripping over the words that cascaded out of her mouth next. "C-can you p-put me down please?"

Laxus obliged her request, setting her gently on her feet in front of him. Laxus let out a deep chuckle when he noticed the blush across her cheeks deepen. Reaching a hand up he brushed a stray strand of her silver hair from in front of her face, tucking it neatly behind her ear. Surprised as he was at his own actions what really caught him off guard was the way she flinched when he raised his hand.

"What kind of hell has this woman been through?" He questioned himself, "What is it about her that makes me want to protect her?" He tried to mentally shake these strange thoughts from his mind. Pushing gently past her to once again take his seat on the couch.

"Mizuki…" he spoke with an unusually calm voice, almost as if he was a completely different person. "I would like to keep traveling with you. I owe you for helping me in the forest and if that means helping deal with these punks so be it." His voice had returned to its usual gruff tone as if he were trying to hide his true motives.

"Oh… No… No Laxus I can't ask you to do that!" Mizuki was yelling now, her face buried in her hands, she still stood where he left her. "I can't let another person get hurt because of me!"

Mizuki pulled her hands away from her face to look down to her side when she felt the soft paw touch her leg.

"Mizuki it's alright," Rika spoke to her reassuringly. "No one's going to get hurt."

Rika smiled up at her lifelong friend. Before a look of surprise was strewn across her face as she watched two large arms wrapped tightly around her partner's waist. Laxus was embracing Mizuki in a tight but gentle hug from behind her.

Mizuki froze for a moment from shock, before she felt herself beginning to relax. The warmth of his body against her back sent a shiver down her spine as he leaned down to speak in her ear. His breath on her ear awakening some primal instinct inside of her causing her to melt into his embrace.

"Don't worry little lady, I'm a tough one to kill." He spoke with a cocky half-smile. Her fingers began to run lightly down his arms to meet his hands. Grabbing them gently she pulled his arms apart to turn and look directly up into his eyes. The strange twinkle in his eyes from before was still there.

"Laxus…" Her voice now barely above a whisper, she looked away and avoided meeting his eyes. "I don't want you to get hurt. Everyone around me eventually gets hurt."

She once again froze in shock when his hand lifted her chin to look him in the eyes. His intense eyes stared into her soft but fearful ones. Her mind raced unable to look away from his captivating gaze. His eyes trailed over the features of her beautiful face, eventually looking back into her beautiful venom eyes.

"What is this feeling, why does he make me feel like I'm less of a… Why do I want to…?" Her mind raced through so many thoughts at once that she had no idea how looking they stood there. Both seemed oblivious to Rika who was now staring out the window into the dark as if she was watching something… or someone.

"I'm not giving you a choice." He spoke finally, breaking her away from her thoughts. "I owe you a debt, you can't get rid of me that easily."

"Just what the hell am I thinking?" He mentally scolded himself. Not knowing what could cause him to act this way towards her.

His hand released her chin in a quick movement when Laxus moved swiftly a few steps away from her. Leaving her to stand there in a slightly awkward stance, with a deep blush crossing her high cheeks.

"We should try to get some sleep." Rika broke the awkward silence that had befallen the room. Causing both Laxus and Mizuki to look over to her and nod in agreement. Mizuki moved to climb into the bed as she noticed him uncomfortably stretch out onto the couch. He really was too large for the rather small couch.

After hearing him shift in his uncomfortable position for the fifth time Mizuki lifted her head off the pillow to look across the darkening room. With a soft sigh and a small smile, she pulled herself out of the cold bed to stand next to him, his tall masculine body nearly falling off of the couch.

"The bed would be more comfortable." She spoke softly as she checked over his injuries. "It would be easier on your injuries." Grabbing his arm tenderly she pulled him gently down into the bed with her. Once the two were lying side by side she turned over to face away from him.

She was laying as far away from him on the bed as she could. For a moment he just stared at the back of her head wondering why he let her drag him into bed and why he suddenly now had the urge to run his large fingers through the long, soft length of her silver hair.

He didn't know how long he laid there until he heard the soft snores coming from the woman next to him. Letting the subtle sounds she made in her sleep lull him into his own slumber.


	3. Chapter 3 - Stay With Me

****** Disclaimer: This chapter contains LEMONS! Please be mature about it.******

 **a/n:** Sorry for the extreme delay. Due to technical difficulties, this had to be rewritten from scratch. Enjoy!

Chapter Three - Stay With Me

Morning quietly crept over the town of Oshibana the sun rising over the nearby builds peaked through the window at the far end of the room, glaring brightly into Laxus' eyes. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he took in the room around him. Turning his head to look at the bed next to him he noticed she wasn't there. In fact, she was no longer in the room at all. With a heavy sigh, he laid his head back against the pillow running his hand through his hair.

" _Did she just take off? Should I go after her?"_ He wondered, quietly staring at the ceiling. Lost in the depth of his thoughts he didn't notice the yawning cat stretching out over the couch.

"She'll be back." Rika yawned again, she hadn't even bothered to open her eyes but twitched her ears ever so often as if trying to fight off the urge to go back to sleep.

They didn't spend too long in the awkward silence before the door to the room opened quietly. Creeping softly, not to disturb the others sleep, Mizuki as quietly as she could made her way into the room. Carrying a couple of brown paper bags that crinkled slightly with her every move. Slowly she set the bags onto the counter, trying hard not to make too much noise. It wasn't until she finally turned to face the rest of the room that she noticed the strong stormy eyes that were staring at her.

"Oh...Good morning," She smiled softly at him. "How are you feeling today Laxus? I hope I didn't wake you."

"You didn't…" He yawned in a usually gruff tone.

"I thought I'd make us all some breakfast before we started our day." Mizuki turned again to pull the food she had gotten out of the bags.

An awkward silence had befallen the room once again. Rika being the sly little cat she was had quietly made her way off of the couch to sit on the counter. Mizuki pulled out a few different types of food, placing them each on the counter before dividing them between two plates. Rika digging through the other bag pulled out raw fish that was almost obviously meant for her and began munching. As Mizuki finished preparing the food she waved Laxus over to them placing a plate on the opposite side of the counter.

"Come and eat…" Mizuki's voice was completely monotone. No hint of emotion in her voice or her body language. She simply leaned against the kitchen counter eating from her own plate of food. "You need to eat to help regain your strength."

She glanced up from her food to see him slowly sit up in the bed and make his way to the counter. At some point in the night it seemed he had removed his shirt, she couldn't blame him for it, that collared button-up shirt he wore couldn't be comfortable to sleep in. Now aside from the bandages around his torso his upper body was completely exposed. Mizuki could help but trace all of the defined features of his body with her eyes, her eyes finally landing on the tribal tattoo on the left side of his chest.

"Eh hmm.." Laxus cleared his throat looking down at her. It was obvious he had caught her staring at him. The sudden sound from him caused her to jump up in shock, averting her eyes immediately, a deep red blush covering her cheeks. Mizuki was completely embarrassed, she hadn't even realized she was staring until he made a sound.

Turning on her heels so she wouldn't have to face him in this uncomfortable moment, she started to clean up the dishes. Quickly she finished up her own dishes and turned to see if he was finished with his as well. Nearly jumping out of her skin when she turned to find him right behind her, the shock nearly causing her to knock the dishes from his hands.

"H-here let me…" She spoke softly. Taking the dishes from his hand, her fingers lightly brushed his, her blush deepening yet again when she turned towards the sink again. Trying to avoid any eye contact if at all possible. Quickly she washed up the remaining dishes, turning on her heel she headed for the bathroom barely glancing in his direction. "I'm going to take a quick shower. You're welcome to take one too."

With the quick shut of the bathroom door, she leaned back against it letting out a troubled sigh. " _What am I thinking?"_ She mentally scolded herself. She knew she couldn't afford to get close to him. She was determined to get him to go his own way for his own safety. " _Hopefully, a nice shower will help me clear my mind…"_ Slowly she slide down her pants that she felt she hadn't taken off in days. Lifting her arms up above her she pulled her shirt over her head. Taking a step further into the room she turned on the water. Waiting for the water to heat up to the perfect temperature. Once the water had warmed she slowly stepped past the curtain and into the warmth of the water. A warm that felt familiar but also forbidden.

She was so lost in the comfortable warmth of the water she couldn't be sure how long she had been in there. Letting her head rest against the cool tile of the shower wall she let out a deeply troubled sigh, tears beginning to cascade from her eyes. Turning she slide down the shower wall until she sat upon the floor. Pulling her knees to her chest she curled herself into a sobbing ball. It wasn't until the water was turned off and she felt herself being lifted from the shower that she finally opened her eyes. Eyes blurry and red from the tears she could hardly make out the figure that now held her in his arms like she were a small child.

"Laxus…" Her voice cracked. She never wanted him to see her like this, but the safety and comfort she felt in his arms was overwhelming.

Laxus was almost dazed by the beauty he held in his arms. Wanting nothing more than to protect her even if it was only her innocence at this moment he pulled a towel from the bar and wrapped her gently in its softness. Carrying her still he took her back into the room, laying her down gently in the bed.

"Laxus…" Her voice was soft, just above a whisper. She looked up to him with pleading tear-filled eyes. "Stay with me..." She reached a hand up for him, his own strong hand enveloped hers.

Gently Laxus allowed himself to be pulled back down into the cushion of the soft bed. Now cradling the small woman in his arms he pulled the sheets up to cover her naked body. Her chest pressed tightly against his own she had nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck, allowing his flesh to gently muffle the sounds of her cries.

They sat like this for a time until Mizuki had finally tired herself out from sobbing. Now softly she snored, still cradled in Laxus' strong arms. What am I doing? He mentally questioned himself. How does she make me so… soft? He gazed down at the beautiful woman in his arms. Somehow he enjoyed her the subtle scent she possessed. A scent only comparable to the early beginnings of a storm. He couldn't quite understand it, but her scent seemed very familiar to him. A scent he felt he could get lost in, he enjoyed it so much. Rika it seemed was determined to give them some time alone, knowing that Mizuki would not usually allow herself to become so vulnerable in the presence of another. Mizuki must have trusted him, so in this moment she would too. Rika quietly left their room to scout out the town, concerned thoughts of the day before swimming in her head.

* * *

The sudden sound of a soft groan and she slowly blinked her eyes open. Locking her sleep filled eyes onto his intense gaze. She felt she could so easily sink into the deep stormy pools of his eyes, getting lost in them forever. Slowly she reached her hand up to softly place the palm of her hand on the side of his face.

"Laxus… I'm sorry to be so much trouble." She let a small smile grace her lips. "I don't think this is what you expected when you decided to stay with us."

Mizuki chuckled slightly until his strong hand covered her own upon his face. Her eyes widened slightly in shock and the realization that she was this close to this man, a man she felt she could see right through. Laxus knew that this was all so uncharacteristic for him, but he couldn't help himself. He was after all a hot-blooded man, holding tightly in his arms a beautiful maiden.

Giving in to his most primal instincts slowly he lowered his face to hers. Taking quick possession of her lips with his own, locking her in a deep kiss. Sliding his hand away from where hers was upon his face he locked his arms around her pulling her closer into him. It didn't take long for her to give in completely to his embrace. Pushing him down onto the bed she straddled his hips when she broke from the kiss. Her eyes locked up onto his, a deep animalistic growl emanating from her chest. Her feral gaze had him completely mesmerized. The subtle light of the setting sun reflected in a glint off of the sharp fangs she ran her tongue over.

Lowering her mouth to his ear she purred, "Stay with me…" before biting roughly onto the crook of his neck. Her sharp fangs piercing the skin of his neck deep enough to cause small trickles of blood to spill from the punctures and force him to let out a deep growl of his own.

With incredible speed he flipped her over onto her back in the bed, pinning her arms back by her head with his hands on her wrists. The ferocity of his feral gaze nearly matching her own as he took in the vision that was the naked woman beneath him. Slowly he moved his face closer to hers, she tried to pull her arms free, forcing a deep primal growl to escape his chest. The growl sending a sensual shiver down her spine. Slowly he continued to lower his head until his heated breath cascaded over her neck and shoulder, sending another shiver to descend her spine. Lightly he grazed his fangs that had grown sharper in the heat of the moment over the flesh of her neck, forcing an animalistic purr to escape her. As if she was inviting him closer, she turned her face away from him giving him more access to her neck.

Accepting her invitation he bit down on the soft spot of her neck, allowing his fangs to pierce her neck like she had. A deep moan escaping her lips she forced her arms free, wrapping them tightly around his neck as she pulled him into a deep kiss. In no time at all he gave into the kiss, his left hand cupping the back of her head, his right slide down between her supple breasts and over the soft skin of the flat stomach until it stopped on her left hip. Gripping tightly onto her hip he pressed his own hard into her, a soft gasp escaping her he took advantage of her open mouth plunging his tongue into her mouth. Slowly he took his time exploring her mouth until she returned the favor, her tongue entwining with his in a fierce battle for dominance. Breaking free from the intensity of their kiss Laxus trailed tender but forceful kisses along her jawline and down her neck.

"Laxus…" Mizuki purred heavily into his ear, her hands travel down the rippling muscles of his chest. Tracing the definition of his muscles as her hands made their way down to the trim of his pants. Gripping the front of his pants she pulled slightly on them pulling him closer to her.

A deep carnal growl escaped him, at this rate he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up. There was this insurmountable need to feel her, all of her. He wanted to give in to this need, this urge, so painfully. The choice, however, was made for him when she made quick work of unbuttoning his pants. Pushing them low enough that she was able to free this throbbing member from its confines. Stroking it gently as if just to tease, slightly rubbing him against her soaking wet folds. Her feral purrs at this moment, combined with her actions sent him diving straight over the edge. Giving in to his most carnal desires, he pushed himself deep inside of her warm moist folds.

The sounds of her heated moans were almost enough to drown out the deep growls emanating from him. Slowly he began to pull himself out only to plunge back into her with incredible force, each movement enticing louder and deeper moans from her. His forehead press to hers him found himself lost in the deeper pleasure that was her. Her nails like claws digging into his shoulders, the pain simply increasing the pleasure and causing him to push further into her with more speed and force.

The deeper he pushed inside of her the more feral like her moans became. Unable to hold herself back any longer, she dug her claws deeper into him and let up out the most ferocious moan. A moan that very nearly sounded like a deep roar as she was lost in the ecstasy of their tangled embrace. Locking eyes with him as he continued to fill her will such intense pleasure he couldn't help but notice the spark at flared in her eyes. A spark that seemed to travel into her fangs as he felt her bite into his neck once more. This time sending a spark, that to him felt much like that of lightning, into him. Unaware of what was happening he felt a sudden surge of magical energy within him.

This sudden influx of power had him reeling in the pleasure of being within her. Laxus could feel this electricity coursing within him. Serving only to increase the pleasure. At that time it seemed only right to return the favor. Nuzzling back down into her neck he let the energy of his own lightning course into his still elongated fangs, biting down with for and pulsing it into her. The shock of the transference forced her back onto that edge of intense euphoria. Laxus could feel her quiver around him, knowing that he could not hold back his own release of pleasure. With one final thrust, he sent them both into a roaring thunder of pleasure.

Blood trickled from each of their necks in the areas they had been bitten, both heaving with heavy, sated breaths. Softly her enveloped her lips with another tender kiss. Her arms weak, they trembled as she ran her fingers softly through his hair. Pulling him back over into the bed, they laid side by side still tangled in this embrace. The room had darkened without them knowing, but the darkness did not seem so terrifying as they lay there. Quietly staring into one another's eyes, allowing a quiet, peaceful sleep to fall over them. Wrapped in each other's arms they slept is utter tranquility.


End file.
